


cause the hardest part of this is leavin you

by avio



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Agender Character, Minor Character Death, Mortuary, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Not Really Character Death, Spirits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-14 00:11:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7991446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avio/pseuds/avio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keiji is a mortician who is quite very often visited by the spirits of those whom they make up for the funeral, including a scruffy black cat who just wants the ones he loves to be okay after his death. [agender Akaashi, nonbinary Kenma, side pairing: hinaken; the death is never gone into detail and is a little moot since Kuroo's still on this plane lol]<br/>♥♥i promise this will not be a tragedy, though there are some sad bits in it :'c</p>
            </blockquote>





	cause the hardest part of this is leavin you

**Author's Note:**

> hello this is technically not my first multichap hq fic but it is the first one i've posted so there's that. let's see how it goes ;w;; i wanted to do a light-hearted story surrounding a sad dark setting, and i was hit with the idea of Akaashi being a mortician ;w; Bokuto isn't in this yet but this is a bokuaka so he will appear! let's wish me luck and i hope y'all enjoy!!! OuO <3  
> [also let me know if there's anything that can be improved, or if anything's kind of awkward? i haven't really written Kuroo or Keiji;;;;]

"Oh, dear god, I knew my mother would insist on that awful suit." She was sitting by the counter, a pretty thing with broad shoulders and a thin gray dress, nose crinkling in displeasure.

Akaashi Keiji was carefully applying makeup to the body on the table before them, while she watched in disdain.

"Is there any chance you can swap it for a dress instead? I look awful in suits." She drifted over to their shoulder, and though they couldn't feel her weight, they could feel the presence sinking into their bones.

"Funerals are, generally speaking, for the living. Not the dead." Keiji delicately applied a light blush, fingers light on her corpse's face.

"Well, she never let me wear dresses when I was living! I don't think it's fair that I can't wear one even in death!" The girl sat up on the table, crossing her arms and pouting. "It's just not fair!"

Keiji paused in their work, just a moment, looking up at the spirit of the deceased, at how her lip was jutted out and her eyebrows brought together. "Perhaps," they mumbled, "it wouldn't be too harmful for something very nice, even if not quite extravagant. Funerals _are_ for the living, after all." They repeated quietly, then adding, "however, it is true that the dead must be respected, as everything they were and are."

She seemed to perk up, eyes wide. "Do you mean that, Akaashi-san??"

"Yes."

The chosen garment was met with little protest, as the girl's mother had been moved to tears at the job Keiji had done, at how beautiful her child looked even in death.

"Thank you," the girl mumbled, peering at her body in the coffin and pointedly _away_ from her sobbing mother as Keiji fixed the arrangement of flowers beside it. "I know I was a little stubborn about it."

"You had every right to be. You deserve respect."

"Akaashi-san, you're sweet.” Her laugh was quiet, and there were tears in her voice. “I think I need to leave soon."

She was gone before Keiji could say good-bye, and their smile was a soft one.

 

Akaashi Keiji had been a mortician for the better part of twenty years, starting when they were still in high school. It was something they were interested in, given their ability to communicate with the dead. It was something they engaged in with very little amount of strong emotions, and they had a knack for keeping calm. Some stuck around shorter or longer than others, some took to possessing things for a while, but either way Keiji was accommodating; it must be disconcerting to find oneself suddenly unalive.

It is for this reason that they weren't too surprised at the scruffy black cat nudging at their shin, even if they hadn't exactly let him in at any kind. Spirits always found a way like that. They were scrutinizing the face of the man on the table, a finger pushing back misbehaving hair when he spoke.

“Trust me, no matter what you do to it, it's not gonna work. Nothing I ever did worked.” The cat tutted, leaping up to the table. “It's something I used to worry about, which seems really weird now, I guess.” He gently placed a paw on his own arm, flinching at the cold. “Jeez. This is _really_ weird.”

“I don't think your loved ones would appreciate cat fur all over you, even if it's your own,” Keiji said quietly, still looking over his face.

“Ohoho? Can you hear me, sir? Er, madam? Er..”

“Akaashi Keiji. Akaashi-san is fine.”

“Ah, sorry, sorry! I'm Kuroo Tetsurou! Or, er, I _was_ Kuroo Tetsurou?”

“You still are. I knew your name, though, as your body is currently on my table. Not that I'll be able to work on it until tomorrow. I just wanted to start getting an idea for it.”

Tetsurou's tail flicked as he regarded his corpse. “Definitely fuckin' weird.”

“I would imagine so. I'll be getting your clothes tomorrow, as well. Your funeral will be at the end of the week.”

The cat turned his attention to them quickly. “How are my clothes coming?”

“I believe they'll be delivered by your loved ones.”

“Can I see them?” His tone was hopeful, cat's eyes large and seeking.

Keiji regarded him with a little care, understanding in his sudden change in attitude. “You can do what you like, you know. I'm just somebody who can hear you, that's all. Sometimes I help a little, though I'm not capable of much.”

“Oh.” Tetsurou heaved a sigh, curling up at the foot of the table and falling quiet. Keiji could understand this, too.

 

“ _Kenma!”_ Tetsurou had perked up immediately at the voices entering the lobby of the mortuary, right at Keiji's heels as they made their way from the back. “Akaashi-san, can't you walk any faster? I need to see them! I need to see Kenma!”

“Kuroo-san, it's very unprofessional for me to greet our guests with a yowling cat at my feet.” They stopped just before opening the door to the lobby, kneeling down. “I understand that you're excited to see your friend, but at least give me a few moments of professionalism before you start.”

He emitted a small growl, but relented as Keiji opened the door and greeted them.

Kenma looked drawn in on themself, shoulders brought to their ears as they gripped the hand beside them tightly. Their eyes were red and swollen, and Tetsurou bristles a little.

“It's okay, Kenma,” the boy beside them assured, nudging their shoulder with a small smile. “I'm with you, remember?”

“Eh? Shorty's here with him, too, huh?” Tetsurou sounded wistful, and Keiji felt his heart twist a little – it was never an easy thing for the dead to catch sight of those still living, and as often as Keiji was visited by spirits, it was never easy for them to witness. “I'll miss that kid, I gotta say.”

“Kozume-san, Hinata-san,” Keiji nodded in greeting after the two introduced themselves, inviting them back for tea to go over details. Shouyou looked at Kenma, squeezing their hand back at their small nod.

Tetsurou started meowing as soon as they were in the back room, sitting on the couches.

“Ah, please forgive me. He's quite fond of visitors. If you'd like, I can--”

“N-no.” Kenma's voice was small, muted, but firm regardless. “He can stay.”

“Ah, Kenma! Can you tell it's me? Do they know it's me?” Tetsurou butted his head against Kenma's hand, kneading his paws on his lap. “Please tell me you know it's me. I'm right here. I didn't leave you yet. I wouldn't leave you yet, Kenma! Kenma-a!” He continued to mewl and purr, rolling in Kenma's lap.

“He's definitely taken to you,” Keiji remarked, pouring the tea carefully.

“Um, yeah. Cats usually don't like me much,” they mumbled, carefully scratching behind Tetsurou's ears. They sniffled a little, rubbing their nose with the back of their sleeve.

“That's not true, Kenma! Your cats like you, and so does this one!” Shouyou grinned, and it was bright even if the light didn't quite reach his eyes. Not that Keiji would forget why they were here.

“It's because they _are_ a cat, you know, Akaashi-san,” Tetsurou purred. “They even like being pet like one, though I can't really do that like this, huh? Well, this is fine, too. As long as it keeps them from crying, this is just fine.”

The rest of the morning was spent going over outfit details and floral arrangements, colours and whatnot, stuff Tetsurou didn't seem too interested in since he ended up curling up in a nap, Kenma's fingers buried in his fur. Keiji couldn't help but muse about how nice it must be to at least get this small chance to stay with the ones he loved, even if it probably wouldn't be for very long. Kenma, at the very least, looked a little less downtrodden than when they came here.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr is thescarletmama ouo


End file.
